Tabnak – As the Syrian Crisis is entering its final stages and Assad’s government is planning to retake the control of the remaining parts of the country, calls by the United States for Iran’s withdrawal from Syria has been intensified. Defending Iran’s positive role in the Arab country, Damascus reacts to the calls by asking for the withdrawal of the American forces.
In this vein, Foreign Minister of Syria Walid Muallem voiced support for Iran’s presence in his country and its advisory assistance at the request of Damascus. In an interview with RT Arabic in New York, Muallem also dismissed the Western opposition to the presence of Iranian forces in Syria.
Iran has provided legal advisory help for Syria at the request of Damascus, while the US presence in the Arab country is “hostile and invasive” and an act of occupation, the top diplomat added. Hailing Syria-Iran ties as relations between two independent and sovereign states, Muallem said his country will never bargain over Iran.
He also made a reference to the Turkish-Russian agreement on a buffer zone in Syria’s militant-held northern province of Idlib, describing it as a positive step on the path of asserting state control over the entire Syrian territory.
“The agreement provided conditions for a peaceful solution in Idlib. Reconciliations have proved effective in many areas of Syria. The legitimate Syrian government has the right to use other means to establish its sovereignty,” Muallem said.
"We are committed to the Astana Peace Process, Sochi talks as well as efforts made by the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran to find an appropriate solution that serves Syrian people best in the political process,” Muallem underlined.
As for the presence of the American forces in the Eastern parts of Syria, Muallem stated that Americans at al-Tanf garrison recruit and train ISIS terrorists, and then dispatch them to the front line to fight Syrian government forces in a bid to prolong the Syrian crisis in favor of Israel.
He also named the United States, Britain and France as the developers of the foreign-sponsored conspiracy against Syria, saying, “All the weapons that terrorists possess in many parts of Syria have been manufactured in these countries.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Syrian official denounced Israel’s overt threats against the presence of Iran in Syria and said the S-300 air defense missile system to be provided by Moscow, would guarantee a response to the Israeli threats.
Muallem stated that Syria neither has harassed nor interfered in the domestic affairs of any country, and looks forward to good relations with world states. “Whoever attacks us and interferes in our internal affairs, must reconsider his position,” he commented.
Muallem’s remarks on the Russian-made missile system come as a senior Israeli official has admitted that the delivery of S-300 anti-aircraft missile defense systems to Damascus will pose a serious "challenge" to the regime.
“The S-300 is a complex challenge for ... Israel. We are dealing with the [decision] in different ways, not necessarily by preventing shipment [of the anti-aircraft systems],” he said.
Moscow vowed to bolster Syria’s air defense capabilities by sending modern S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to the Arab country within two weeks after the recent accidental downing of a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft.
